28 December 2011

Hyderabad, Home for International Hospitals

The Hi-Tec city, Shamshabad is soon getting at least 12 new hospitals in the next few years. The list not only includes local names, but has international brands too, which will provide the city with an opportunity to cash on the expanding demand for specialized healthcare and also on world-class airport of Hyderabad that is positioned in the city as a medical tourism destination.

The investors are betting on vast open space surrounding the Shamshabad International Airport to set up multi-specialty hospitals. An International hospital through a joint venture of GMR, Apollo Hospitals and Mayo Clinic will soon be built within the airport special economic zone (SEZ). Nearby in Nalagandla, a city area is Citizen Hospital, another medicinal institute with 500 beds spread over an area of about 10 acres which is to be partially operational from June next year. An official attached with the project with medical tourism in Hyderabad said, "Besides local patients, this international-standard hospital will also be catering to the huge demand for such facility among overseas patients."

The city is visited by steady flow of tourists for treatments, but the Shamshabad International Airport is being marketed as tool to enhance the foot fall further. Financial District or Gachibowli, are the areas within 30 km radius around the airport which is expected to be eyed for the purpose. Continental Hospital is coming up in Gachibowli, indicating that other two international groups are in talks with local parties to pick up about two lakh square feet (sft) area in this belt. Though the information is not confirmed yet, sources reveal that the deal is soon to be sealed.

A real estate developer said, "There is also a group of doctors from the U.S. who are looking for land in the city to set up a centre and they are sure it has to be in the Shamshabad airport-Gachibowli stretch,"

The low realty rates are acting as an extra advantage in this area as the land in Shamshabad was available for nothing less than 2-6 crore per acre until two years ago and now priced between 70 lakh and 3 crore. With a one-acre plot available for 4-10 crore, Gachibowli too is 50 percent cheaper now. An observer noted, "All these factors put together are likely to see this part of town develop into a medical hub soon."